What highest microprocessor for NF7-S rev2 ?

natric wrote:
reply inline

Hummm... Just reading your last post now. Well, I agree with you that
the ram timings has to be considerated deeper than I've done (and more
since it's actually not in manual mode), but remembering my final
objective is to push up global performances : then, thinking twice for
every setting.

During last night and as said in my last post (before yours), I've ran
Prime95 two times with Torture Test's Small FFTs option, trying to see
if cpu side is right enough before to closer considerate the RAM
aspect. Here are the results :

1) With VCORE @ 1.75V : error after 5 hours (under our 6h threshold)
2) With VCORE @ 1.775V : still running since 8 hours without error and
temp. is 55°C (around [36°C, 41°C] in usual daily use)...

Then, from this step, I'm thinking VCORE is high enough (and
remembering I'm not in a high cooling environment) and will
considerate the RAM side details and other stuff in the mobo. Well,
this push toward some question.

Leave the Vcore at 1.775V if the system is stable.




1) About RAM voltage : originally @ 2.6V, now @ 2.7V, is there some
risk to go to 2.8V (not any smaller step) and does-it present some
interest ?

Try not to increase RAM voltage past 2.7V. In most cases, you can leave it
at 2.6V, when the system is stable.

2) About timings : actually as 8-4-4-2.0, first you preconised 11-3-3-
3.0 (but it did generated beep codes) and 11-4-4-3.0 in your last
post, then I suppose your message is to say that current CAS is too
fast, that (as I've read) the "11" is often seen for nForce2 case and
two last middle values are maybe to be privilegiated from the CAS. On
my side, I'm starting to search info about this RAM timings point
and, for example have found url like this one
http://www.frazpc.pl/artykuly_wyswietl/212_en that seems to be very
instructive... But, on your side, do you know some step-by-step guide
or valuable urls about this specific subject ? What's your own
methodology ?

Using Corsair PC3200, I've found 11-3-3-2.5 timings to produce the best
benchmarks at 200MHz, with 2.6V DDR voltage. The Corsair is capable of
6-3-3-2.5 timings. It was all experimentation.

3) A kind of subsidiary question : what's about chipset voltage ?
Does- it has some sense to consider-it ? How ?

Chipset voltage is nominally 1.5V. I leave it at default. An increase is not
normally called for.

natric wrote:
[reply inline; snipped where necessary]
Prime95's Blend Test Torture has been right during 9h30 and I've
stopped it manually (since some sensible work to do in the pc).

Current stable state is : CPU @ 11*200MHz on 1.775V, RAM on 2.7V and
timings as 8-4-4-2.0, Chipset and AGP voltage stay unchanged.

You can try lowering RAM voltage to 2.6V if the system is otherwise stable.

Now, when I'll have time, I'll take some try around different RAM
timings to see benchmark incidence.


As promised, I've made some trial with ram timings and here are my
representative tests. All under a "charged" Win2K without any special
preparation (ie. a lot of things in systray, including something like
TuneUp MemOptimizer which may slow down instant perf occasionnaly) and
knowing the nf7-s is working in DualBand with 2*256MB of noname with
Samsung chips.

Here are some representative results :

timings / aida32 read & write / sandra2003 int & float

8-4-4-2.0 (SPD one) / 3042 & 1157 / 3006MB/s & 2705MB/s
7-3-3-2.0 (Turbo one) / 3070 & 1175 / 3036 & 2841 (best sandra float)
10-3-3-2.0 / 3077 & 1178 / 3037 & 2758 (globally the best)


Using 11-3-3-2.5 timings at 200MHz, 2.6V, I get:

AIDA32 ver3.93
2971/1103 (read/write)

SANDRA 2004.2.9.104
2954/2720 (integer/float)

It looks like the lower CAS of 2.0 helps. I would keep the 10-3-3-2 timings.



From this point, I'm testing the stability in both, starting with the
BIOS preset one : 7-3-3-2.0 = A Prime95 Blend Test Torture (this
time, MemOptimizer being closed to avoid any interference) has been
ran during 10h without error and I've stopped it manually. About
temperature : it was 38°C before launching and has gone up to 55°C.
Then, I can considerate this config is honnestly stable.

Next steps will be to do this same Prime95 test with the 10-3-3-2.0...
And, maybe (but require lot of time), to try exhaustively all the
possible combinations (especially all the ones with the 10,11,12 tRAS
as recommended for the nForce2) :-p

You could, but it's probably not necessary.

And this, without to talk about another way which would be to increase
FSB again (but, surely would require to downgrade CAS). Without to
talk about the fact, I should, certainly, be inspired to decrease
VCORE and RAM voltage, for the purpose to find the minimum stable one
in final state. Without to talk about the possible importance around
chipset voltage. Without to talk about the pertinence of my, finally,
reasonable cooling elements.

If you want to lower a voltage, lower only one, by the smallest amount
possible. Test. In this way you will know which settings to revert to if it
becomes unstable.

However, a real and strong methodology around ram timings choices
remains welcome if you have one !!! Let me (us) know


Using PC3200, I start at 11-3-3-3 or 11-4-4-3 with V RAM at 2.6V and 1.65V
Vcore, both memory and FSB at 200MHz. If the system is stable, I try
slightly more aggressive RAM timings; one parameter at a time. The very
first change I make if the system is unstable is more V core.

To find errors more quickly, I find SuperPi to be a good tool.
http://pw1.netcom.com/~hjsmith/Pi/Super_Pi.html

The longest test, 32 million digits, can be accomplished in ~40 minutes. Any
errors usually point to insufficient Vcore or too aggressive RAM timings.
Prime95 can then be used to check for long term stability.

[Posted to alt.comp.mainboards.abit and copy sent to the cited author]

In article uZ3pc.476223$oR5.119837@pd7tw3no, says...
To find errors more quickly, I find SuperPi to be a good tool.
http://pw1.netcom.com/~hjsmith/Pi/Super_Pi.html

The longest test, 32 million digits, can be accomplished in ~40 minutes. Any
errors usually point to insufficient Vcore or too aggressive RAM timings.
Prime95 can then be used to check for long term stability.


Ok, Shaw, thanks for this url. Just downloaded it and will go through
process with it first and Prime95 later.

However, I agree with the 10-3-3-2.0 adoption at this step (will, maybe,
just take a quick try with 11-3-3-2) and will try to see if ram volatage
decreasment will have impact on stability.

Thanks again for your help
Have a good day

natric wrote:
Ok, Shaw, thanks for this url. Just downloaded it and will go through
process with it first and Prime95 later.

However, I agree with the 10-3-3-2.0 adoption at this step (will,
maybe, just take a quick try with 11-3-3-2) and will try to see if
ram volatage decreasment will have impact on stability.

Thanks again for your help
Have a good day

My pleasure Natric.

[Posted to alt.comp.mainboards.abit and copy sent to the cited author]

In article ,
says...
[Posted to alt.comp.mainboards.abit and copy sent to the cited author]

In article uZ3pc.476223$oR5.119837@pd7tw3no, says...
To find errors more quickly, I find SuperPi to be a good tool.
http://pw1.netcom.com/~hjsmith/Pi/Super_Pi.html

The longest test, 32 million digits, can be accomplished in ~40 minutes. Any
errors usually point to insufficient Vcore or too aggressive RAM timings.
Prime95 can then be used to check for long term stability.


Ok, Shaw, thanks for this url. Just downloaded it and will go through
process with it first and Prime95 later.

However, I agree with the 10-3-3-2.0 adoption at this step (will, maybe,
just take a quick try with 11-3-3-2) and will try to see if ram volatage
decreasment will have impact on stability.

Thanks again for your help
Have a good day


As promised, final results :

As said in last post, I've tried to decrease voltage and see if
stability if always at the rendez-vous : reply is "no" !

Here are the details (@11*200 & RAM timings as 10-3-3-2.0):

1) VCORE 1.775, RAM 2.7 = 41°C idle, SuperPI 32M is OK, Prime95 Blend
Torture Test runs during 11h30 (55°C max.) before error :-))

2) RAM decreased to 2.6V = Prime95 BTT runs during 12mn before error :-
(

3) RAM raised to 2.7V again, but VCORE decreased to 1.75V = 40°C idle,
SuperPI 32M is OK, Prime95 BTT runs during 1h15 before error :-(

4) I return to VCORE 1.775V and RAM to 2.7V = 44°C (today is a hot
day), Prime95 BTT runs during 6h12 (59°C max.) before error :-)

Then, we can say, it's very voltage and temperature dependent. I have to
stay at VCORE 1.775V and RAM at 2.7V.

End of the o/c

natric wrote:
As promised, final results :

As said in last post, I've tried to decrease voltage and see if
stability if always at the rendez-vous : reply is "no" !

Here are the details (@11*200 & RAM timings as 10-3-3-2.0):

1) VCORE 1.775, RAM 2.7 = 41°C idle, SuperPI 32M is OK, Prime95 Blend
Torture Test runs during 11h30 (55°C max.) before error :-))

2) RAM decreased to 2.6V = Prime95 BTT runs during 12mn before error
:- (

3) RAM raised to 2.7V again, but VCORE decreased to 1.75V = 40°C
idle, SuperPI 32M is OK, Prime95 BTT runs during 1h15 before error :-(

4) I return to VCORE 1.775V and RAM to 2.7V = 44°C (today is a hot
day), Prime95 BTT runs during 6h12 (59°C max.) before error :-)

Then, we can say, it's very voltage and temperature dependent. I have
to stay at VCORE 1.775V and RAM at 2.7V.

End of the o/c


Tout est bien qui finit bien. :-)

In article zq5qc.510791$oR5.503109@pd7tw3no, says...
natric wrote:
As promised, final results :

As said in last post, I've tried to decrease voltage and see if
stability if always at the rendez-vous : reply is "no" !

Here are the details (@11*200 & RAM timings as 10-3-3-2.0):

1) VCORE 1.775, RAM 2.7 = 41°C idle, SuperPI 32M is OK, Prime95 Blend
Torture Test runs during 11h30 (55°C max.) before error :-))

2) RAM decreased to 2.6V = Prime95 BTT runs during 12mn before error
:- (

3) RAM raised to 2.7V again, but VCORE decreased to 1.75V = 40°C
idle, SuperPI 32M is OK, Prime95 BTT runs during 1h15 before error :-(

4) I return to VCORE 1.775V and RAM to 2.7V = 44°C (today is a hot
day), Prime95 BTT runs during 6h12 (59°C max.) before error :-)

Then, we can say, it's very voltage and temperature dependent. I have
to stay at VCORE 1.775V and RAM at 2.7V.

End of the o/c


Tout est bien qui finit bien. :-)

Oui, on peut le dire ;o)